After King Jeroboam …
Ahab, son of Omri, became king of Israel
(the Northern Kingdom)
1 Kings 16:29
He … married Jezebel, … and went over to the … worship of Baal. 1 Kings 16:31
… Jezebel was murdering the prophets of the LORD 1 Kings 18:4
Elijah
(the prophet)
… said to Ahab
(the king)
: “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives[,] during these years there shall be no dew or rain except at my word.” 1 Kings 17-1
Long afterward, in the third year,
(now that the drought had gotten everyone’s attention,)
the LORD spoke to Elijah, “Go, present yourself to [King] Ahab,” he said, “that I may send rain upon the earth.” 1 Kings 18:1
Elijah appealed to all the people and said, “How long will you straddle the issue? If the LORD is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.” The people, however, did not answer him. 1 Kings 18:21
So Elijah said to the people, “I am the only surviving prophet of the LORD, and there are four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal. 1 Kings 18:22
Give us two young bulls. Let them choose one, [prepare it], and place it on the wood, but start no fire. I shall prepare the other and place it on the wood, but shall start no fire. 1 Kings 18:23
You shall call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The God who answers with fire is God.” All the people answered, “Agreed!” 1 Kings 18:24
… the prophets of Baal, … called on Baal from morning to noon, saying, “Answer us, Baal!” But there was no sound, and no one answering. … 1 Kings 18:25-26
Noon passed … But there was not a sound; no one answered, and no one was listening. 1 Kings 18:29
Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” 1 Kings 18:30
He built an altar in honor of the LORD … and made a trench around the altar … 1 Kings 18:32
… he … arranged the wood, … and laid [the young bull] on the wood. 1 Kings 18:33
“Fill four jars with water,” he said, “and pour [water] over the holocaust and over the wood.” “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again. “Do it a third time,” he said, and they did it a third time. The water flowed around the altar, and the trench was filled with the water. 1 Kings 18:34-35
… Elijah … said, “LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God … 1 Kings 18:36
BOOM! Bolt of lightning out of the blue …
The LORD’S fire came down and consumed the holocaust, wood, stones, and dust, and it lapped up the water in the trench. Seeing this, all the people fell prostrate and said, “The LORD is God! The LORD is God!” 1 Kings 18:38-39
… the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a heavy rain fell. 1 Kings 18:45
Having proved again to His people that He is the only living, true god, God could allow the drought to end.